A place where the elders, ministers, and ministry leaders of the Southeastern Church of Christ can share how God is working in their lives as they strive to serve the church that He has placed in their care.

Thursday, November 3, 2016

When Do You Feel Closest to God? by Frank Black

WHENDOYOUFEELCLOSESTTOGOD?

(F. Black –
Nov. 2016)

John Clayton has been with us and gives indisputable,
specific, scientific evidence for a Creator God.This information helps to absolutely confirm
our faith and arms us to speak to others more authoritatively about the
existence of our Almighty God.

But I want to ask you a personal question.When do youfeel closest to God?- or feel His presence the most.There is no ‘right’ answer here.It’s personal with you.Perhaps it’s seeing a child being born;
during a worship service; witnessing something in Nature [God’s creation]; many
other situations or events.For me it’s
seeing the magnificent Rocky Mountains.

Romans 1:19-20 - “What may be
known about God is plain to people, because God has made it plain to them.For since the creation of the world God’s
invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly
seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without
excuse.”

Psalm 19:1-4– “The heavens declare the glory of God; the
skies proclaim the work of His hands.Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display
knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.”

I was 24 years old, having just finished my 3rd
year in medical school.My
brother-in-law, Jim Brantly, was graduating from medical school.Jim’s father and my father-in-law, Kermit
Brantly, generously paid our families’ way on a trip West as a graduation
present – to the Rocky mountains and YellowstoneNational Park. We were in two cars – yours truly with Lou Ann
and 18 month old Melanie in our trusty Volkswagen. I witnessed the supreme
grandeur of the majestic Rocky Mountains for
the first time.I was awestruck. [In
later years Colorado
would become our families’ ‘vacationstate’ – skiing, camping, and
backpacking].

[As an aside; recently I was talking to Jill Wells, who
had just returned from seeing the Rocky Mountains
for the very first time.Her eyes and
voice reflected the joy and the wonder of seeing them.[“like a small child in a candy store”]

To me Nature [God’s creation] is a ‘reflection of God’;
or as one author put it, Nature is “God’s echo”.So, as I’ve made obvious, I feel closer to
God in the mountains – where the beauty, quiet, solitude, majesty, vastness,
and peace are ever present.

[My “God Place”]

Vallecito Lake
is a few miles outside Durango, Colorado, and the trailhead in the San Juan Mountains
leading up to ColumbinePass.Every inch is fantasically beautiful as we
climb some 3,000 feet up winding switchbacks among the glorious pines and
aspens.The beauty easily overcomes
tired feet and muscles.[I see the scene
and smell the aroma even as I write.].It’s an arduous climb to ColumbinePass.You have to pay the price to get the reward. Just
before getting to the tree line above which trees don’t grow, we cross over a
roaring stream and climb a small embankment which conceals the best campsite of
all campsites.It’s not visible from the
trail, and we discovered it by serendipity.It’s flat there, which nicely accommodates our tents, and is surrounded
by large pine trees, whose needles make for a soft ground cover.Another small stream can be heard nearby as
it cascades down and before joining the larger stream we crossed.This is the nirvana of all campsites.I hope you can ‘see it’.From the campsite, as you look further up the
mountain, the tree line is barely a quarter mile away.Beyond that the trail continuously winds its
way to the Pass at about 13,000 feet.The Pass is a ‘notch’ between two mountains.After crossing the Pass, the trail then leads
down to ChicagoBasin.

The campsite is
a welcome respite but only a prelude to the ultimate ecstatic experience of
reaching the top of ColumbinePass.This is where I feel the closest to God.This
very spot!The beauty of His creation
here is indescribable.You have to
experience it.“...Be still and know that I amGod….”
Just take it in.At the Pass you feel on top of the world and
can see the panorama of God’s vast phenomenal creation all around you [360
degrees].

I draw on this
experience [and others from Nature] frequently. Why?To feel that special closeness to God again;
when I’m feeling ‘down’; when I need a positive thought; when any doubts about
God creep in.I hope you have some
events or experiences you also draw on.Your
“spot” – that special memory.If not,
capture some special times or places and cement those in your memory to be
called on when needed.